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New Gear PSA

I dislike falseness or pretentiousness of any kind, so I’m just going to call this post what it is: I’m stalling. I know about all the posts I’m supposed to do, but time is always against me. (Not really, but it sounded cool to say it for some reason. Is that from Matrix? I think it is. My rule is that if Laurence Fishburne says it, then you should say it too.) And I could just do the pedalboard post, but I am waiting on one more pedal to come in (hopefully tonight!), and my love of pedals (some would say my Gear-Page-bred-boutique-snobbery-blue-led’s-really-do-effect-tone) won’t allow me to post a picture of a pedalboard with any carpet showing. So I decided to appear magnanimous (that barely passes for a movie quote…if anyone gets that, I’ll send you a pedal) and give a wrap-up of some new gear that you should definitely open up new credit cards for. Man, what a great time it was a few years ago…I could max everything out on gear, and they’d still send me more apps in the mail! Ah, the joys of the wondrous and what everyone now knows to be the imaginary world of credit. Still, you can’t deny those were some good times. But, I digress…as per the usual…which I should probably stop doing…but definitely won’t. Here’s the important stuff. Gear. Yep. Rock. Do you know there are people who have never seen Wayne’s World?

Matt Solomon Cables–(I guess the link isn’t working anymore. His email is clearsoundmusic@gmail.com . Not sure if he’s still running the same deal, but awesome cables.) This guy is wiring up Evidence Audio Cables 6-18″, a 10-pack for $100. Best deal I’ve found in a long time, and they sound great. EA cables are right up there with Lava’s ELC. And they’re the Monorail type, so low profile, bendable, and a cool muted burgundy color that makes people ask, ‘Ooh, what are those?’ An added bonus.

Strymon Pedals–so much buzz going on about these things right now. Brand new pedal line from some of the amazing Damage Control engineers, with all analog dry path pedals: a delay with tap tempo, subdivisions for both dotted 8th’s and triplets, and new technology designed to get bucket brigade sounds out of a more versatile digital circuit; a reverb pedal with fully controllable decay and a ‘shimmer’ mode; a chorus; and probably the most useable and tweakable flanger to date. They’ve had their compressor out for a few months now, and it is the best one I have ever played. Which means a lot coming from me. (I hate compressors.) My demo of that OB.1 compressor is here, if you’re interested. I can only guess that the rest of that line of pedals is going to be just as stupendous.

Analog delays with tap tempo! About time somebody caught up with Diamond’s Memory Lane technology. Not that I’ll ever sell mine, but I’ve been floored that’s it’s been this long before more of these came out from other companies. Analogman is working on one as a mod for his current ARDX20, Electro Harmonix is getting ready to release it’s Deluxe Memory Boy, and Young Pedals actually has its Time Stomp out now.

Catalinbread is working on more editions of the WIIO, an overdrive designed to be a HiWatt sound, as opposed to yet another pedal being a Marshall. 100 of them got released, ebay prices drove up to past $1,000, and then he said he’d release more later this year. Ah, that was fun Gear Page reading while it lasted.

And lastly, ZVex‘s new Inventobox. As if Zach (remember, way cooler to refer to these guys by their first names as if they contacted you for lunch, frozen yogurt, and a sponsorship when in actuality they just practiced good customer service by responding to your email) hadn’t done enough to revolutionize the way we view pedals. (That means hand-painting them. hehe Just kidding, they have some amazing and original circuits as well.) Now he’s working on a box where you can install 3 different pedal modules into it, and eventually perhaps design your own circuits for it, and then come into community with other Inventobox owners and swap circuits. Really bringing a cool communal aspect to the usually stand-off-ish, I play ‘Jump’ cleaner than you do, electric guitarist crowd. Ya, it’s old news…but it’s still pretty awesome!

And lastly, an analog reverse delay with seventeen tubes. No, not really. Just a dream I have.

Oh, just saw this. haha I was confused. I’ve actually never heard the Time Stomp, I just heard rumours of another analog delay with tap tempo and listed it. Once I can find one for a used price that I can resell at, I’ll try to pick one up. ‘Cause ya, some of the demos I’m not sure about.

Jed–lol Then the pedal is on its way! I just gotta find one to part with…or buy one to part with…

Larry–sweet mercy!! You just totally got that!! I was just writing the first things that came to my head (imagine that, hehe) and didn’t think anybody would actually read that. Yikes, I really do owe you a pedal now… lol

Oh, and I really want to try his new delay, but until that tap tempo mod comes out, I can’t really justify spending that much money on a delay without tap tempo. I use untimed analog delay for just certain textures, and there’s some cheaper ones that are doing the job really well right now. Stupid cheaper ones. haha But let me know if you find one that you don’t want that’s at a used price that I could resell at!

Rhoy–right on!! Can’t wait to hear how it is! And you’re probably right on the Inventobox…although I’m hoping it’ll actually become a new way to do the whole gear community thing. But I guess I need to brush up on my soldering skills. hehe

Sam–lol I guess I did! Still not a flanger guy, but I might try out the Strymon one just because there might be things to do with it that I haven’t been able to do with other pedals. And your EVH flanger story is classic. hehehe

You know… in the original short-story Red was called red because he was Irish. Morgan Freeman captivated the director and they thought certain lines should be left in for humor’s effect. Those lines weren’t originally funny in the book…

You realize Karl, that as of the last several months, I have been completely happy with the effects that I currently own. I totally rearraned my board to get everything I need on it. Watched several new products come out without even the slightest twinge of hitting the “Buy it now” button. Then…..you post this Strymon thing. I just know it’s gonna haunt me. Man….I thought I was past this. But…a Replica, a Memory Lane, a TTE and a Brigadier. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Mark–that’s the coolest delay lineup I’ve heard of in a while! Props, my friend. So, are you still gigging with the TTE, or is that a studio/home only thing now? Sorry, I know I’ve probably asked you that before, but I’ve forgotten.

Dan–looks like it’s gotta be. On the videos, you can make out the knobs as gain, output, bass, and treble. Ya…really looks like we could redo our whole boards with these.

And at first I wasn’t sure about the shimmer mode on the Blue Sky reverb, as I definitely don’t need to remind anyone how much I ripoff Edge, but it sounds absolutely spectacular in that video.

I know it’s probably crazy, considering the fact that tape supplies are limited and the darn thing cost more than my first car but there is just something about that TTE that I miss if it isn’t in my signal chain. It sounds best slightly pushing the front end of a tube amp. I usually have the higher tape speed set for some slap back. That way, when I slip down to the slower tape speed, I get this real nice thickening delay. Run the Memory Lane with slight modulation into that thickening delay and it just sounds…well….like a gift from God. And I ain’t kiddin’.

Cables, he mentioned cables ! ( Segue Opportunity). I’m guessing Karl you wouldn’t consider one of those guitar cables with mute/kill switch — at least not one like the Planet Waves. So does anyone make one you would consider? Thinking of a silent way to switch guitars.

How am I going to switch when I’m almost a one-man band? One problem at a time.

Larry–right on! You know, I heard that somewhere…maybe the special features? I’m definitely not cool enough to actually have read the book/story it was based on. hehe That’s so awesome, though!

Mark–best story I’ve heard in a long time. Love it! That’s what I’ve heard about the TTE’s…that preamp section is amazing just on its own.

Randy–oh man, I hate switching guitars when leading! Those 15 seconds seem like 4 hours! haha I think the best way to do it is to get a 2 at 1 box from Morley, Lehle, Loop-Master…that way you can plug both guitars into one box, and then with the click of a switch turn one on and the other off. Or, the way I do it, is just a simple tuner mute switch from Loop-Master, or a Boss or Peterson tuner. (Almost any stomp tuner will mute you while you tune.) Then mute your signal, unplug, switch guitars, and re-plug. That takes a little more time though, so I only do it when I’m not leading, or when someone else starts or ends the song.

I have a Tonebone ABY on my board but it’s used to give me two different signals into two separate direct boxes/PA channels. Really don’t want any more stuff on my board now or laying off on the floor around it so I may have to go the mute/cable route. And see if someone else can start song #4, otherwise probably can’t happen.

If it can sound like a true acoustic one minute and an electric the next The more I think about it the more I think a stompbox tuner as the first item on my pedal board makes most sense. The way my ABY sits on the board it can only be used for both channels, or A or B, not neither so I really do need a way to tune ( or switch instruments ) while everything is muted.

I have a carvin AE185 hybrid, but so far it doesn’t match a true acoustic-electric to my Senior Pastor’s satisfaction. It’s a little thicker than a tele with a similar body shape, semi-acoustic with a nice saddle mounted pickup plus two humbuckers and you can mix all 3 pickups.

I just added an Aphex Acoustic Xciter to one of my channels which does add quite a bit of bass, so the Carvin might work now. We don’t have a bass player at the moment so you see the problem.

hey man! just found your blog a few weeks ago, and i absolutely love it! im 19 and in a worship band at a church outside nashville and so far your blog has….gotten me to buy a tim pedal, realize i dont have to use a compressor “just because”, led me down the path to the best band ever…U2. and shown me it’s ok to not rip on every song….just play tastefully. i recently read one of your posts that said something along the lines of “using lights, art, music to worship the lord”, that one stuck with me but i cant seem to find it again? do you remember which post this is? thanks so much! and keep the posts going! appreciate everything you do, -spencer lambert

Randy–ya, with no bass player, that’s rough. Let me know how you like Xciter. And…

‘But if I did the old fashioned way appeals to me: “CLICK!!!-HHUUMMMMMmmmmmm-”KERANG_KACHUNK!” ‘ That was classic, bro.

Spencer–welcome, brother! Great to have you here! Thanks for the kind words, and unfortunately, that sounds so much like something I would say (and probably say too often, hehe), that I’m not sure what post that is in. My apologies. But looking forward to future gear and worship conversations!

Nick–in no way were you talking to me, haha, but just so you don’t feel left out. Cheers!

best hybrid guitar ever is a Tom Anderson Crowdster Plus. I have never been so impressed with a guitar in my life. Its acoustic tone is the best amplified acoustic you will ever hear, and the electric tone just rocks as a rhythm tone. They even have a version now with both a neck and bridge humbucker for even more versatility.

Hey Karl! Thanks so much for mentioning my cables here- I’m really glad they’re working out for you. I’m still offering the same deal on Evidence patches, and I guarantee them for life. The link at TGP expires after 30 days or something so that’s sort of a moving target, but I can be reached at clearsoundmusic@gmail.com for any Evidence, Lava or Voodoo Lab needs, or if anyone wants a custom wired board or rack I’d be happy to help.
Thanks again,
Matt Solomon

Thanks, Matt! Wow, I didn’t know they were guaranteed! I might be ordering some more pretty soon here. Thanks again. The cables sound great, and have held up perfectly!! Really appreciate your work, and the comment!

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